Windshield wiper fluid transmission connection



T. J. SMULSKI April 17, 1951 WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID TRANSMISSIONl CONNECTION Filed June 25, 1943 Patented Apr. 17, 1951 WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID TRANSMISSION 'CONNECTION Theodore J. Smulski, Gary, Ind., assignor to Productive Inventions, Inc., a corporation of Indiana Application June 25, 1943, Serial No. 492,253

7 Claims. l

This invention relates to windshield wiper cleaners of the type which supply a cleaning iluid to the windshield, and more particularly to a fluid-tight joint between two fluid conduits which are movable relative to each other.

Heretofore numerous windshield wiper cleaners have been devised for applying a cleaning fluid to clean, defrost, or deice a windshield of land or marine automotive craft. More recently cleaners of this type have been designed for use on aircraft, and the structure of such cleaners differs from previous windshield wiper cleaners because of various factors which now must be considered in designing such cleaners.

In aircraft windshield wiper cleaners, the wiper arm speed of operation is usually three to four times the maximum speed employed in wiping windshields of earthbound craft. This high speed of operation together with the high velocity of the aircraft has resulted in a wiper design whereby the cleaning fluid is transmitted through a fluid conduit which is a part of the wiper arm to a wiper blade provided with lluid conduits so that the iluid is supplied adjacent the wiping element of the wiper blade whereby the uid is properly spread across the surface to be wiped.

Furthermore, in aircraft windshield wiper cleaners the wiper arm pressure is many times greater than that encountered in other vehicle wiper cleaners. In view of the necessity to overcome the wind resistance encountered by the velocity of the airplane, the high speed of operation of the wiper, and the great wiper arm pressure, the aircraft windshield wiper actuating mechanism necessarily is of much greater power than that heretofore used on other craft. In view of this, it is undesirable to complicate any part of the windshield wiper motor or the windshield wiper actuating mechanism by causing defrosting fluid to be conducted to the arm and blade by means of a hollow windshield wiper shaft.

In accordance with my invention, I provide a windshield wiper for use on aircraft which supplies cleaning fluid adjacent the wiping element of the windshield wiper blade, and which does not complicate or change in any substantial manner the present construction of windshield wiper motors or actuating mechanisms. This is accomplished by providing between two cleaning lluid conduits, a fluid-tight joint so that there may be relative movement between the two conduits, one of which is usually connected to the cleaning 2 fluid source of supply or reservoir, and the other of which is connected to the windshield wiper arm and blade.

It is an object of my invention to provide a windshield wiper cleaner for aircraft which will supply fluid to the surface to be wiped without requiring any modications of present windshield wiper motors or actuating mechanisms.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved windshield wiper cleaner which will permit relative rotational movement between two cleaning fluid conduits.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved fluid-tight connection in a windshield wiper cleaner arm and blade assembly which will permit a certain amount of variation in the alignment of one fluid conduit with another fluid conduit, particularly where the uid conduits are movable with respect to each other.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved windshield wiper cleaner wherein in addition to relative rotational movement between two uid conduits there will be permitted a certain amount of gyrational movement between the two conduits.

Still another object of my invention is to provide in a windshield wiper cleaner a fluidtight connection between two fluid conduits which are movable relative to each other so as to facilitate the installation of a wiper cleaner blade and arm assembly.

Other and further objects of my invention subsequently will become apparent.

In the drawing which forms a part of this specification:

Fig. 1 is a view in front, sectional elevation illustrating a windshield wiper cleaner arm and a fluid-tight joint embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in side elevation, partly in section, of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary, detail crosssectional view of the fluid-tight joint shown in Figs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary, detail, crosssectional view of another embodiment of my invention in fluid-tight joints.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1` and 2 of the drawing, there is shown a windshield wiper arm having an inner section 5 and an outer section 6 mounted thereon in pivotal relation thereto. The outer section 6 is spring biased about the inner section- 5 by `suitable spring means which preferably are capable of being adjusted by means actuated through a screw 1 so as to determine the degree of pressure to be applied by the free end of the wiper arm on a Windshield wiper blade. While any one of a number of structures may be utilized to accomplish this Vregulation of the pressure of the wiper arm, a suitable structure for this purpose is shown and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 382,503, filed March 10, 1941, now Pat-Y ent No. 2,326,402, August 10, 1943. j j d l The outer free end of the wiper arm section 6 is provided with suitable blade engaging means which may be set in a blade-receiving condition by operation of finger grips 8. 'A suitable blade engaging mechanism adapted to cooperate with a Windshield Wiper cleaner blade is shown and claimed in my copendind patent application Serial No. 492,252, filed June 25, 1943, for Wind'- shiveld Wiper IArm and Blade Connectors, which I VVhave'signed and sworn to concurrently herewith. This application has matured into Patent No. 2,432,690, dated December 16', 1947. Since the details of such mechanism do not necessarily forma part of the present invention, reference may be made to that application foi` the details of construction. In order to show the relation of the present invention to apparatus of that type, the apparatus will be briefly described.

vA windshield cleaner wiper blade which may be of any of the types suitable for this purpose is providedvwith a connecter stem including a connector member 9 having trunnions. The connector member 9 is engaged by the mechanism controlled by the nger grips 8 of the wiper arm section 6. Features of the illustrative wiper blade are disclosed and claimed in my pending application, SerialNo. 401,951, filed July 11, 1941, for Windshield Wiper. This application has matured into Patent No. 2,348,502, dated May 9, 1944. y y

The fiuid transmission connections exemplified particularly in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawing are disclosed and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 629,651, l/e'd November 19, 1945,y now Patent No. 2,520,896, May 17, 1950. L 'Ihis type of wiper blade I0 has a frame |I provided on each side with a fluid passage |2. EachV fluid passage |72 has spaced apertures I3 positioned adjacent the flexible wiping element I4 so that cleaning fluid will be applied to the Windshield adjacent the wiping element and will be spread properly across the surface of the windshield Without waste. Each longitudinal fluid channel I2 of the wiper blade frame is connected to a fluid passage I5 vextending through the stem of which connector 9 forms a part. In Patent No. 2,348,502, the connector member 9 is rotatively mounted relative to the wiper blade so that, through suitable movement modifying means, the wiper blade can be turned to a limited extent relative to the wiper arm. In the present instance no movement modifying means is provided, and hence provision is made to fix the member 9 against rotative movement relative to the wiper blade. A plate 9a, fixed against rotation, has a forwardly turned lip engaged with a flat face of the member 9 to prevent rotation of the latter. Y y y The fluid passage I5, when the wiper, blade is connected to the wiper arm, is in communication Witha iuid conduit I6 mounted on the outer arm section Il. The conduit I6 is provided with a suitable terminal portion II to provide a'fluid-tight joint between the" conduit I6 and the fluid passage I5. The uid conduit terminal portion I7 has a shoulder which is retained in position adjacent the free end of the arm section S by a spring clip I8 secured to the end of the arm by suitable fastening means, such as the' rivet I9.

The other end of the fluid conduit I6 is sep-r arably connected to a fluid conduit 2| which extends along and forms part of the inner arm section 5, by a suitable fluid transmitting universal joint22'.A The/fluid joint or connection 22 may comprise a ball and socket joint whose center is positioned substantially in alignment with the aXis of a'bearing rivet 23, through which the two arm sections 5 and' 6 are pivotally connected to one another. When the wiper blade is in contact with .the windshield, there is little movement of the fluid conduit I6 with respect to the iiuid conduit 2| and hence a relatively simple type of joint may be employed. It comprises a metallic ball member 22a which forms a terminal member of conduit 2|, and a rubber socket member 2222 which is seated in an Veril'arged terminal portion 22c of conduit I6. Mem# bers 22a and 225 are formed with suitable come municating bores. The fiuid'conduit 2| is supported from the inner arm 4section 5 by a suit# able bracket 24 which is attached to the arm section 5 by fastening means, such as a screw The conduit 2| is desirably affixed to an ear of the bracket 24 which is resilient.

The inner end of conduit 2| has affixed to it a nipple 2 Ia which is formed with a beveled Yseat 2lb. The nipple 2 Ia fits removablyinto a socket 2Ic which is formed in the hub portion 28 of inner wiper arm section 5. The nipple bears at its innerl end against a suitable sealing gasket 2id which is lodged in the socket 2 Ic, and which is formed with a beveled seat 2 Ie, complementary to seat 2lb. l y

Incase of stoppage or'of damage to parts call'- ing for service or replacement, the Vconduits I6 and 2 I, together with the appurtenant parts, may be readily removed by withdrawing screw 25 and shifting the bracket 21|V away v'from farm section 5. "Either the conduit I5 with its appurtenant parts or the conduit 2| with its appurtenant'parts may then be repaired or discarded and replaced by a like replacement unit, the parts being then reassembled and secured inplaceby the screw 25. Y

In accordance with the invention as more particularly illustrated ,in Figs. 2 arid/3, the innerend of the iiuid conduit'l` is connected to communi'- c'atewit'h a fluidpassage 25 which is formed within that portion of the inner arm section 5 adjacentan actuating shaft 2 of a windshield wiper motor4 or act'uatiir'i'g",rrechanisin.` Y An inner collar portion 28 offthe inner "arm section 5 is provi-ded with 4Aafsuit'abl'e surface for engagement with a por't'io'i'i tl'fl actuating lSlfiaift r2`| Whh may be provided with vs"erration's 29.-

The collar portion 2S hasa'driving't with the end of shaft 2. The lower end ofthe collar portion 22 'is formedA witha 'beveled shoulder 'for fitting 'against a complementary beveled Vshoulder 21a of shaft 21.

A TheV wipershaft 2l, just l.forwardly beyond 'the corrugated portion 29, is provided witha thread# @d Stud Penna-Shih@ stud 3|, QiV the-wiper shaft is engzugedA by anutvmember 32 having a depending portion reduced in size and extending part way intovanfenlar'gedboreof the collar `218. The nuid .passage 2s redeemed andl bounded bjy me wan-cream borathej'stuq 31,9. rear face of thenut s2, and aforwardiyfacing shoulder of .5 shaft 21 which surroundsthe base'of stud3l. A gasket 33 is interposed between the surfaces of the arm portion 281 andthe nut 32 and is clamped firmly by the threading of nut 32 `onto stud 3| to provide a fluid-tight joint. The nut member 32 is provided with a fluid passage 34 which'is in communication with the fluid `passageZ of the arm portion 28.

The nut member 32 extends upwardly in the form of a reduced hollow end portion 35, such portion being formed with an external thread which is engaged by acollar nut 35. The uid passage 34 of the nut 32 is separated from the bore formed in the threaded endportion35 ,by an apertured plate or washer31'which seats against a shoulder at the inner or rear end of said bore. The washer 31, in turn, supports a flexible resilient tubular sleeve 38, desirably of rubber, in whose outer end a parti-spherical seat ls formed. n

A fluid conduit 39 is connected to a suitable source of cleaning Huid, desirably under a moderate pressure. A fluid-tight joint is provided between the fluid conduit 39 and the fluid passage 34 by two members 4| and 42, the member 4| being ailixed to the fluid conduit 39, and the member 42 being supported on the resilient sleeve 38. The memberl42 and the rear end portion of the member 4| jointly define a sphere segment. The member 42 is of suitable bearing metal and rotatively engages the bearing member 4I to form a liquid-tight joint. rThe members 4| and 42 are provided with connecting fluid -passages 44 and` 45 respectively. .A self-lubricating bearing 46 is held betweenthe collar of nut 36 and the fluid joint member 4| so `that the nut 35, together with the other elements of the iluid joint assembly carried by the shaft 21 may oscillate with respect to the member 4|.

The fluid joint members 4| and 42, as previously noted, have an outer parti-spherical configural-tion, so that the members 42 and 38 have capacity for limited universal rocking movement relative to one another, the rocking being accommodated, however, by deformation of the sleeve 38. This movement between the fluid passage 39 and the other iluid passages will occur if there is any misalignment of the axis of the iiuid conduit 99 with respect to the axis ofthe wiper shaft 21, and it may also occur during roperation of the vehicle in response to vibration and other strains. While the operation of the invention is thought 'to be evident from the foregoing description, a brief resume of the operation willbe given. The iiuid conduit 39 is connected to a suitable reservoir or source of cleaning or deicing iiuid. The cleaning fluid passes through the conduit 39 into the passage 44 of the member 4|, through the passage 45 of the member 42, through the passages in the resilient gasket 38 and the supporting plate or washer 31, through the fluid passage 34 of the nut portion 32, and through the fluid passage 2B of the arm portion 28 to the conduit 2| adjacent the arm section 5. Fluid continues on from the fluid conduit 2| through the fluid conduit I6 to the fluid conduit l of the blade connector 9 and to the longitudinal fluid passages l2 of the wiper blade frame Il to the apertures I3 and on to the surface of the windshield adjacent the wiping element I4 of the wiper blade I8.

The windshield Wiper arm is moved through an arcuate path by the wiper actuating shaft 21 so that between the stationary bearing member 4| and the rotary member 42 there is relative oscil- .at all times.

:latory movement.` The member 42 is resiliently pressed against the member 4| by the sleeve 38 P'azerence maylnow be had to Fig. 4 wherein there is disclosed another embodiment of my invention which differs from the arrangement .vided with a iiuid conduit 2|a which extends 4adjacent the `inner arm section in a manner similar to the fluid conduit 2l in Figs. 1 and 2. The

inner-arm section is secured to the arm engaging portion of a wiper shaft in a manner similar to that shown and described in and in connection with Figs. 2 and 3, but is further retained in position by a nut portion 48 which engages the threaded stud portion of the actuating shaft.

The fluid conduit 2 la, is connected to an annular `member or ring 49 which surrounds a reduced portion 5| of the nut portion 48. The reduced portion 5| of the nut member 48 may be provided with a circumferentially extending groove or recess so that a fluid passage 52 is formed with the ring 48 which may have Van inner diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the .reduced portion 5i of the nut member 4'8. The fluid passage 52 is in communication with a fluid passage 53 which extends within the reduced portion 5l. ihe outerl end of the reduced portion 5l ofthe nut 48 provided with a threaded portion 54 which is engaged by a collar nut 51. A pair of gasket rings 55 and 58 located in seats at opposite sides cf the annular member 49 are firmly clamped by the nuts 48 and 51 to seal the fluid passage 52 and to secure the annular member 49 in place.

The upper portion of the iluid conduit 53 is enlarged, and a flexible resilient supporting sleeve 58, desirably of rubber, is positioned therein to support a iiuid joint member 59 which cooperates with another nuid joint member 8|. The iiuid `joint member 8| is secured to a fluid conduit 39a `which is adapted to be connected to a supply reservoir or source of cleaning or deicing fluid.

A portion of the fluid joint member 8| is surrounded by a self-lubricating bearing 63 having a shoulder portion engaged by the inner shoulder portion of the collar nut 51 so as to retain the joint member 8| in proper operative relation to the joint member 59. The fluid joint members 59 Vand 6|, which have a fluid passage 62 through them, are provided with complementary conical nut member 48 the relative movement there-` between will be a simple oscillatory movement. In the event that there is a slight misalignment between the axis of the fluid conduit 39a and the axis of the nut member 48, an additional component will be introduced so as to produce a motion which may be termed to be a relative gyrational movement. This movement is permitted by the flexure or deformation of the resilient flexible mounting gasket 58. A fluid-tight joint is assured between the conical bearing surfaces 68 of the two joint members 59 and 6l, the sleeve 58 serving resiliently to press and maintain the member 59 against the member 6 l.

While I have described what I believe to be `ttvo :communicating cleaning fluid conduit fseev'tions "carried yby and extending 'alongside th'e ire'- 1s'p'eotive arrn "sections, said conduit -'sections yin-- -eluding at theiradjacent ends complementar' 'aan and #socket-joint members whose center of 'eXil-e is aligned Substantially ISWith Vthe '-''X's "Of tue-:pivot 'between the arm sections.

a Windshield Wiper cleaning apparatus, nin'-'ccin-binationfan inner far-m ls'ectionadapted "for connection With -"a Wiper *actuating y'sha-tt, an outer wiper section pivotall'y supported lon the :'rstgand two communicating cleaning vfluidfcorrduitsectio'n's carried bythe *respective Varm 'sec'- tions, :said 'conduit vsections `including at their Ysection having A`a Jrearwardly directed terminalv fporti'on atits outerend and 'a Shoulder adjacent vthereto, and 'said' outer wiper yarm section having anbp'ening therethrough which receives and Vrits fs'aidterminal por-tion and Whose'inargin engages said'shoulderyianda spring 'clipainxed to the outerwi'per armsection'fand bearing againstsaid terminalportion to hold the latter yieldingly and 3.1-I'nfa 'Windshield wiper -cleaning apparatus, lin combination, an inner arms'ection adapted for "fc'nnection with a Wiper "actuating shaftfan'outr 'Wiper Vlsection pivotally supported on the rst, "and :two communicating cleaning'uid conduit sections carried bytlielrespectiv'e arm sections, -f's'aid c'or'iduit sections including at their :adjacent `ends "'cornplementaryball fand socketljointmem- "bers whose center ofv fle'Xure'is aligned substan- "t'iall'y vvithfthesaxis'of the pivot 4between the arm sections and being removably tted'into sealing f engagement, With the-respective Wipe'rarrnseotio'ns iat-their distal ends, and securingrne'arxs fadj'a'c'ent the -ball and socket members -for 'irern'ovabl'y `but rigidly a'fxing one of j said `'l'zorduit sections to the '"Wiper 'arm vsection lby which :it "is 'carriedl u1-aitvrindsliieldYcleaningfapparatus,Tin :conrbin'ation, 1an -inner |arm 'sectionffada-pted io'rlcon'- nection with fa V"Wiper i1actuating shaft, an 'outer wiper" section -pivotallysupportedfonthe ffrst; and two v-cominunicating r-cleaning fl-uid conduit sec'- Ktions" carriedby v`the@respective farm' sections, 'lsaid fcndui-t'` sections fincluding ati-their fadjaczent ends complementary intertting joint-"forming :members"whosecenterofpivotal movement is aligned 4substantiallv*witlrthe axis-of the `pivot between the va-rm `sections.

`P 5. A MWiper ari-m comprising inner and `oi'iter *sectionspivtally "connected "together, a fconduit extendinglalongsidefsaid arm Ysections, separate l'ren-iovaJolemeans carried -by 'the V'inner varm `'sec- 'tionf'or @securing l the inner lrextremity of the -con- V'duit tothe inner section, 'and lmanually operable fresil-ientmeans carried by 1the'outer'a-rm section forfsecufig ALltie=outer extremity Hof "the conduit -to the outer section.

wiper farm Acomprising `an yinner fsection ladapted tobe connected to a driving means Vfor movement vtherewith in a predetermined plane, an'outer"section-.pivtally connected to said inner section, a conduit I-attached yto said inner sectionffor movement therewith, a conduit attached to --s'aid @outer section gior-movement therewith, andn'feans coupling lthe conduits togetherfadjacent the'pivotal connection betWeen'said-fsections.

7.1A wiper -arm comprising inner Iand -outer sections, 'means on the outer'-en'dfof the louter section for detachablyeng'aging afwiper blade, a seat having a port provided fon one of said secitions, a fconduitsupported onlthe 'arma for transmitting a uidA to the port, 'and-yieldable means -o'rcpressinganfextremity of lthe *conduit against '.vthe seat on said'on'esection'toplace the conduit in communication with the Iport.

-THEODOREY J. SMULSKI.

vREFERENCES CITED l "The rfollowing references -areof record ind-,lie l'e `ofl this patent:

vUNITED STATES vPATENTS 

